With a wind power project proposed off the beach taking a big step forward this week, Mayor Jay Gillian on Thursday criticized the approval process and called offshore energy production “a crazy gamble.” City officials have expressed skepticism about the Ocean Wind 1 project since its proposal, but at the City Council meeting, Gillian went farther than usual, offering a blunt assessment of the project, describing the approval process as rushed and suggesting most of the benefits would flow to a foreign company. Gov. Phil Murphy and company representatives celebrated the approval Wednesday. But the reaction was far different in Ocean City. “Despite the thousands of pages of paper masquerading as a complete review of the project’s impact, we still have absolutely no idea what this will cost the state’s taxpayers and ratepayers, and what benefits we might see in return,” >click to read< 10:58
Tag Archives: Gov. Phil Murphy
Cape May County Ends Litigation Over Failed Wind Energy Project
Cape May County has ended its legal battle against a proposed offshore wind energy farm after the state and federal agencies that had supported the project admitted it is “dead and will not be coming back to life.” The county had filed state and federal lawsuits to block the wind farm proposed by the Danish energy company Orsted 15 miles off the coast between Atlantic City and Stone Harbor. In the suits, the county alleged that the project would have caused far-reaching economic and environmental harm to the tourism industry, commercial fishing, migratory birds and marine life such as dolphins and whales. “By Orsted’s own calculation, Cape May County was facing a loss of over $1 billion in tourism revenue. Our fisheries industry was facing millions of dollars in losses. Marine mammals and other sea life were threatened with injury and harassment,” Cape May County Board of Commissioners Director Leonard Desiderio said in a news release Monday announcing the end of the ligation. Photos, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< Congratulations! 13:12
New Jersey Residents opposing power cables: Don’t make us Guinea Pigs
When wind power is generated, it needs to go somewhere. And residents of southern Monmouth County say right now, they’re in the line of fire, as plans call for much of the energy produced by an offshore wind project — located nowhere near the county’s coast — to come ashore in Monmouth County and run underneath a handful of municipalities. “I think we still have time to fight this,” said Glenn Hughes, a founding member of the group Stop the High-Risk Power Cables. According to locals, contractors have already begun visiting the area to finalize their bids for a project to install the wind power transmission cables underground. The bids are due by the end of September. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 09:06
Biden Admin Approves New Jersey’s First Offshore Wind Project Amid Growing Local Pushback
The Atlantic Shores South project, given a green light by the U.S. Department of the Interior last week, calls for installing 200 towering wind turbines less than nine miles off the coast — providing enough electricity to power more than 1 million homes. It’s the ninth offshore wind project approved by President Joe Biden as part of his efforts to expand the green power industry aggressively. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and environmental groups praised the project’s approval, saying it will help reduce the state and nation’s reliance on fossil fuel energy sources. “Through the responsible development of offshore wind facilities, we can protect our aquatic and coastal resources and the communities who rely upon them while taking bold action to address the climate crisis by reducing emissions from fossil-fuel-dependent energy sources,” Shawn LaTourette, commissioner of the state Department of Environmental Protection, said in a statement. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 13:06
See which 8 NJ towns filed new lawsuits to stop offshore wind developer
Eight Jersey Shore municipalities petitioned the court this week in a new attempt to stop offshore wind developers from moving forward with power projects along the New Jersey coast. Attorneys from the law firm of Pashman Stein Walder Hayden filed two appeals and one motion this week targeting the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection’s approval of part of the Atlantic Shores Offshore Wind project. The law firm represents Long Beach Township, Beach Haven, Ship Bottom, Barnegat Light, Surf City, Harvey Cedars, Brigantine Beach and Ventnor City. Last month, the state department granted a consistency certification to a portion of Atlantic Shores’ project, which will build as many as 200 wind power turbines nearly 9 miles off Long Beach Island. Video, more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:01
Ørsted pulled out of NJ. What comes next for wind power at the Jersey Shore?
After Ørsted, Danish energy company, announced in October that it would pull out of the billion-dollar project to build wind turbines off the New Jersey coast, there was discussion about what would come next for clean energy development in the Garden State. Gov. Phil Murphy announced that the state’s Board of Public Utilities would seek another wind energy company in early 2024 and engage in contracts in early 2025. Why did Ørsted drop its New Jersey projects? The company ended development of the Ocean Wind 1 and 2 projects, which were supposed to be built off the coast of Atlantic City. Two other projects, one by Avangrid and another by SouthCoast, a joint venture of Shell and Ocean Winds North America, were also canceled earlier this year in Massachusetts, forcing the companies to pay penalties of $48 million and $60 million, respectively. >>click to read<<10:48
Murphy Tagged $1 Billion of Ratepayer Subsidies to Bailout Failed Foreign Wind Energy Corporation
Senator Michael Testa recently addressed the withdrawal of Ørsted, a Danish wind energy company, from the Ocean Wind 1 & 2 offshore wind farm projects in New Jersey. Testa’s comments highlighted the complexities and controversies surrounding the state’s investment in green energy. Testa criticized the allocation of state funds, including a $1 billion investment in Ørsted’s projects, as a burden on taxpayers and ratepayers. He described the investment as “a drop in the ocean,” underscoring his view that the funds were insufficient to achieve the intended goals. Additionally, Testa expressed concern about the establishment of a $5 million wind institute, which he perceives as a “propaganda arm” of the wind industry. >>click to read<< 14:50
New Jersey reacts to Ørsted Ocean Wind cancellation shocker
The aftermath is still unfolding Wednesday afternoon — and causing a lot of questions, drama and uncertainty in the state. It all comes against the backdrop of next week’s legislative elections (with offshore wind a central campaign issue in many races), when all 120 seats are up for grabs.Gov. Phil Murphy and legislative leaders all responded with strongly worded statements and reactions, which came ripping through email boxes and across social media accounts in the evening hours on Halloween, which you can read more about here. That continued Wednesday — especially from Republican lawmakers and leaders, who have long questioned the feasibility of offshore wind as well as its potential impacts, leaning into the issue heavily on the campaign trail. >>click to read<< 17:20
Developer cancels plans for 2 N.J. offshore wind farms. Outraged Murphy rips company
Danish company Ørsted announced Tuesday night it will “cease development” for what was slated to be New Jersey’s first offshore wind farm, as well as plans for its second project. It’s a blow to Gov. Phil Murphy’s ambitious clean energy goals and a stunning development for environmentalists supporting the energy alternative, once thought to be operational at the Jersey Shore between 2025 and 2026. Murphy said in his statement that Ørsted’s decision to “abandon its commitments to New Jersey is outrageous and calls into question the company’s credibility and competence.” “As recently as several weeks ago,” Murphy said, “the company made public statements regarding the viability and progress of the Ocean Wind 1 project.” >>click to read<< 07:08
Survey: Support for wind energy drops in New Jersey
Support for offshore wind development in New Jersey has dropped dramatically in recent years as projects near construction, according to polling released Monday. Just over half of residents, around 54 percent, approve of offshore wind farm construction, according to the Monmouth University survey, a decrease from 76 percent in 2019 and 84 percent in 2011. At least 60 whales have died on the East Coast since preparations for the first project near Atlantic City began in December, but multiple studies from federal and state agencies have not found evidence linking the deaths with wind farms. The wind turbine projects have been celebrated by the state government and the Biden administration as ways to encourage green energy production in well-developed areas. >>click to read<< 15:45
Murphy’s wind turbine project could be stopped by little ole Ocean City, N.J.
Whether you’re a Democrat, Republican or independent, you have to know Phil Murphy is as slick and slippery as they come. Rather than go through the Legislature for approval of his climate cult schemes, he does it through the regulatory process. This way you have no say in the matter. It just gets rammed through by way of the BPU or the DEP. They’re made up of unelected bureaucrats appointed by the governor. Back in March Murphy chose not to reappoint two people that might offer resistance to any of his climate cult nonsense, like getting rid of gas stoves, gasoline-powered cars or giant wind turbines off the Jersey Shore. >click to read< 14:53
Offshore wind foes sue New Jersey and Danish turbine developer over tax break
The lawsuit was filed Thursday by two residents’ groups that are opposed to offshore wind projects and three electricity customers from Ocean City who seek to overturn the law. They say it gives Orsted about $1 billion in tax relief for one of the two windmill projects it plans to build off the state’s southern coast. The state Legislature passed a bill allowing Orsted to keep federal tax credits that it was obligated to pass along to ratepayers. In applying for permission to build the project, called Ocean Wind I, Orsted had promised to return such credits to customers. Bruce Afran, a lawyer representing two groups who brought the lawsuit – Protect Our Coast NJ and Defend Brigantine Beach – said the state is not permitted to enact laws that benefit only one party. >click to read< 09:55
Cost of being first in offshore wind is growing for New Jersey
New Jersey wasn’t the first East Coast state to commit to developing its major untapped clean energy resource, offshore wind power generation. But Gov. Phil Murphy and state Democrats have used their control of state government to spend whatever it takes to make New Jersey and its ratepayers the earliest adopters of offshore wind in the United States. Even though Europe’s mature offshore wind industry was capable of producing electricity at a cost competitive to natural gas powered generating plants, the early U.S. wind farms were always going to be more expensive. A North American offshore wind industry needed to be developed first. Now the bills for early adoption of offshore wind are starting to come in, and they are substantial. >click to read< 10:03
Weekend event to challenge wind farm plans up and down shore
Offshore wind power opponents scheduled a waterfront protest starting at 11 a.m. Saturday, with plans for participants to gather on beaches throughout South Jersey. Some have posted plans to gather in Ocean City, Wildwood Crest, on Long Beach Island and on Atlantic County beaches. “This is not just an Ocean City event. This is all New Jersey beaches and beyond,” said Adrienne Possenti, a Vineland resident who is helping organize the Ocean City gathering. But she said the Ocean City gathering is particularly urgent as the plans call for cables to pass under the city to bring offshore wind power to the grid. “If we can stop that, we stop the rest of the project,” Possenti said Wednesday. >click to read< 09:38
Wind Farm Protesters to “Link Hands” on Beaches – Opponents of a proposed wind energy farm off the South Jersey coast will link hands on the beaches Saturday in a protest symbolizing their unified fight against a project they believe will be an environmental and economic disaster. Photos, info, >click to read< 11:30
The dirty details of offshore wind’s ‘clean energy’
“In New Jersey, it’s go hard or go home,” Gov. Phil Murphy Tweeted after signing an executive order to up the state’s offshore wind goals by nearly 50% last September. Perhaps, the governor didn’t consider the fact that those in the state who question the perils and efficacy of offshore wind turbines are playing by the same saying. This “clean energy economy,” as conceived and fast-tracked by the Biden administration (and treated as the holy grail by Gov. Phil Murphy), has been shoved down the throats of those who live in shore communities, even though the risks to every aspect of marine life are poorly understood and little evidence exists that wind energy will make a noteworthy impact on climate change. By Linda Bonvie, >click to read< 09:53
Corporate Welfare: Lawmakers pass controversial bill to give tax break to offshore wind developer
Lawmakers narrowly advanced fast-tracked legislation Friday that would give a Danish company a multimillion-dollar tax break for its offshore wind project, despite objections from Republicans who slammed it as “corporate welfare.” The bill would allow Ørsted, the company approved to build a 1,100-megawatt project 15 miles off the Atlantic City coastline, to keep federal tax credits that otherwise would return to ratepayers. The value of the credit would be $2.40 per year per ratepayer, by Ørsted’s estimate, but the company’s total potential savings is unclear. Critics questioned why legislators should give “a corporate bailout to a foreign company on the backs of New Jersey ratepayers,” as Assemblywoman Vicky Flynn (R-Monmouth) put it. >click to read< 09:25
Cape May County to fight Ørsted, Ocean Wind 1, 2
“At first, the County of Cape May was interested in trying to work with Ørsted to find a way forward, perhaps with some modifications to the project to reduce visual, environmental and economic impacts,” Commission Director Len Desiderio said in a release issued by the county. “We would like to see land-based offshore wind facilities and supply-chain infrastructure built here in New Jersey, since that would create good opportunities for trade workers and others. But we cannot sit quietly by as hundreds of windmills are installed off our beaches as state and federal government agencies ignore our legitimate and serious concerns. “As time went by, it became clear that Ørsted was not interested in finding any compromise,” Desiderio said. “It is clear to us now that the approach among this foreign corporation and their partners in the state and federal governments is to build these things as fast as they can despite the potential for devastating environmental and economic impacts. >click to read< 09:42
Wind farms creating ‘death zone’ at sea says ex-Greenpeace boss
Drilling foundations for offshore wind turbines and sound pulses used to prepare for the 900-foot towers may be creating a “death zone” for whales, a former Greenpeace chief claims. Patrick Moore, a co-founder of Greenpeace and its ex-president in Canada, believes the acoustic systems used by vessels surveying the ocean floor harm the marine mammals’ sense of hearing, risking their crucial ability to navigate, and leading to more dead whales washing up onshore. At least 36 “large” whales have washed up along the East Coast since Dec. 1, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. photos, >click to read< 07:51
Anti-wind farm petition hits 500,000 signatures
An online petition drive in opposition to offshore wind farms following the deaths of dozens of whales along the East Coast has now hit a milestone of 500,000 signatures. Suzanne Hornick, an Ocean City resident and a founder of Protect Our Coast NJ, the independent grassroots organization that started the petition drive, said the goal is to collect a million signatures as a push continues to halt the wind farm projects. “Protect Our Coast NJ is absolutely thrilled that we have well over half a million signatures on our petition that was only started mid-January. Many of the signers are from states other than New Jersey up and down the East Coast,” Hornick said. “This is a wake-up call to every single politician. If a half a million people can come together against a single issue so quickly, imagine what we will be able to do going forward.” >click to read< 13:11
New Jersey: Van Drew leads chorus of condemnation of wind projects in Wildwood
If there were any fans of offshore wind energy proposals in the Wildwoods Convention Center on Thursday afternoon, they kept quiet during a congressional hearing on the issue, led by U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-2nd. Over about 2½ hours, speakers dove into what they see as problems with the proposal for wind turbines off the coast of New Jersey and other Eastern states, and with the state and federal approval process they say favors the wind developers. The hearing was billed as “An Examination into Offshore Wind Industrialization.” After opening statements, which were each deeply critical of the wind power plans, the Congress members heard from environmental advocates, an attorney representing Cape May County, a fishing industry member and others. They did not hear from Ørsted, the Danish energy company that owns Ocean Wind 1, the offshore wind power project expected to be the first in operation off New Jersey. Photos, Video, >click to read< 07:43
Anti–wind farm petition takes off, nearing 250k signatures
A petition drive that demands a halt on wind farm projects following whale deaths along the coast has collected more than 240,000 signatures so far. (As Monday morning, March 13, the petition had more than 318,000 signatures.) Ocean City wind farm opponent Suzanne Hornick, one of the founders of Protect Our Coast NJ, which began in 2019, said it is time to stop offshore wind acoustic testing. Gov. Phil Murphy, a strong supporter of offshore wind technology, wants New Jersey to become a leader in green energy. So far, New Jersey has approved three offshore wind farms and is looking to add more. But it appears that many New Jersey residents are opposed to the wind farms,,, >click to read< 11:36
A new push to stop NJ offshore wind development
As debate continues over what is causing so many dead whales to wash ashore along the New Jersey and New York coastline, New Jersey Congressman Chris Smith, R-4th District, has introduced legislation requiring what he terms “an immediate, comprehensive investigation” into the environmental approval process for offshore wind projects. Meanwhile, New Jersey Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-2nd District, announced on Friday in a statement that he will be holding a hearing on March 16 regarding offshore wind projects. The time and location were not available at the time of his announcement. >click to read< 16:19
Brigantine hosts third offshore wind meeting – We don’t want it.
Wind energy companies Ørsted North America and Atlantic Shores have plans to build offshore wind turbines 10 to 15 miles off New Jersey’s shoreline. Atlantic Shores plans to build at least 111 wind turbines across 183,353 acres at three different sites off New Jersey by 2027. Construction for Danish wind company Ørsted’s Ocean Wind 1 and Ocean Wind 2 projects is set to begin next year, with at least 99 turbines fully operational by 2025. Gov. Phil Murphy has said he supports offshore wind for its ability to create jobs, reduce the garden state’s carbon emissions and generate renewable energy. He has set an offshore wind goal for the state of 11,000 megawatts by 2040. But residents and local government officials have been critical of the plans. >click to read< 09:12
Industrial wind: Sierra Club should stick to their own back yard and leave mine alone
When I go to the beach, which I do almost every day, I prefer to look out on an empty ocean where the only sign of civilization is a fishing boat or two. I can see why a giant multinational energy company would want to spoil that view with 900-foot wind turbines that generate both electricity and money. But why would the Sierra Club? They cite climate change as the reason, but there are other sources of carbon-free energy such as nuclear, which the Club opposes. When I got him on the phone yesterday, Mayor Paul Kanitra told me the people in his town oppose “the industrialization of the last pristine natural resource we have in New Jersey.” “We don’t want this dystopian viewscape of red lights flashing at night and turbines droning,” Kanitra said. >click to read< 10:37
Governor Murphy has a whale of a problem with his offshore energy plan
“Circumambulate the city of a dreamy Sabbath afternoon … Things have changed a lot since 1851, when Herman Melville wrote those words. But the Atlantic Ocean hasn’t. People still wander to its shores to gaze at an ocean devoid of man-made objects. But not for long, not if Phil Murphy gets his way. In his State of the State address, Gov. Phil Murphy boasted of his plan to have hundreds of wind turbines built offshore, some more than 900 feet tall. The governor also mentioned his commitment to “environmental justice.” We are used to looking at the ocean as public, but the Murphy administration wants to award large chunks of it to multinational corporations such as Royal Dutch Shell. We’re seeing that with groups like the Sierra Club and the Audubon Society. >click to read< 11:39
South Jersey Times Editorial Board – N.J. whale death mystery may not lead to mighty wind
Depending on who’s counting, at least six whales have been discovered ashore since late fall. Let’s not to jump to conclusions, though, about why these whales died, at least not to the degree that we need to shut down everything that’s going on offshore. Pressure groups are already calling for moratoriums on any work related to offshore wind energy development, even though none of structures related to the turbines system exist off the Jersey coast. (The survey work is happening, though.) The developers of offshore wind, and cheerleaders who include our governor, are finding more pushback against these planned installations than they anticipated. It’s not just Clean Ocean Action that has a beef; commercial fishing groups and others concerned about shoreline aesthetics are weighing in, too. >click to read< 10:48
Offshore wind farms threaten New Jersey’s shellfish industry. Should fishing communities be compensated?
Earlier this month, New Jersey announced it would join eight other states that are seeking a regional approach to compensate fishing communities for the impending losses. “Are we going to be allowed to fish inside of them (the wind turbine fields)?” asked Kirk O. Larson, a scallop fleet owner and mayor of Barnegat Light, New Jersey. “Why did (the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management) put a wind farm right inside of a scallop area, the most productive scallop area pretty much on the East Coast, not counting Georges Bank.” Shellfish harvesters like Larson are expected face serious financial damage from offshore wind development projects. “I’m not looking for compensation,” said the scallop fleet owner. “I’m looking for work, so I’m not really looking for welfare.” >click to read< 07:43
Markey, Moulton push for national fund to compensate fishermen for losses due to offshore wind >click to read<
Brigantine residents express concerns about offshore wind projects
Having clean energy as a renewable resource may sound nice, but residents still have questions and concerns about the offshore wind projects planned just off the island’s coast, which is why the mayor held an informational meeting last weekend. Ørsted’s offshore wind farms, which are expected to have 98 wind turbines roughly 15 miles off the coast, are scheduled to be completed by 2024. Meanwhile, 111 Atlantic Shores offshore wind turbines are expected to be operational 10 miles off Brigantine by 2027. Many residents said the cons outweigh the pros. “I’m just trying to figure out the positives in this,” said resident Mary Anne Ford. “The pro column is a big blank slate.” >click to read< 07:21
“It’s a step too far for us” – New Jersey lawmakers advance bill to study energy from waves and tides
When it comes to renewable energy, solar power and wind turbines hog all the headlines. Thursday, legislators advanced Assemblyman Robert Karabinchak’s bill that would require the state to study ocean energy potential and set goals in wave and tidal energy generation. The Assembly’s infrastructure and natural resources committee, which Karabinchak chairs, unanimously agreed to advance the bill, which would also require the state to add wave and tidal energy to its energy master plan and authorize pilot projects to test their efficacy. The approval came despite objections from an advocate for commercial fisheries, who warned the “industrialization of our ocean” — already underway with offshore wind projects — will obliterate fishing grounds. “We will not be able to fish in these locations,” said Scot C. Mackey, who represented the Garden State Seafood Association. >click to read< 08:16
Commenter: BOEM report downplays wind farm’s impact on fishing, tourism
The federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is downplaying potential adverse effects of offshore wind projects by setting faulty baselines in its Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) on Ocean Wind 1. That’s the argument by Barbara McCall, a Florida resident who owns property in Ocean City. McCall sent in a 3,500-word response, with footnotes, to BOEM, which is part of the Department of the Interior, during the comment period. She said the politicians and companies behind the projects, including Danish company Ørsted and PSEG, which are teaming up to build Ocean Wind 1, “should not be afraid of being truthful and transparent.” McCall said she has heard the “ambiguous statement” that the majority of people in New Jersey support offshore wind projects, but she doesn’t believe most people know what all the projects entail. >click to read< 09:32
